By: L. Shay Bradham

Old (Bad) Habits Don’t Just Go Away

While we think of spring and the new year as a time of starting new habits, fall is also a time to think about changing (for the better).

As the air begins to get a chill and our thoughts turn to a new school year and the upcoming holiday season, it can be a time of turning things around so that we head into the next year with a new outlook and better habits.

Bad habits don’t simply disappear, however. They need to be replaced.

Here are three steps to changing your bad habits:

  1. Find a new habit to replace it with. If you smoke after meals, chew gum or brush your teeth instead. Not replacing an action or a habit can leave you feeling twitchy because your mind and body are used to doing something at a certain time.
  2. Determine to stick with it for at least 21 days in a row. If you miss a day, start over. Eventually, it will become a new habit.
  3. Use reminders: sticky notes, calendar reminders, etc. Whatever it takes to keep the new habit on your mind.

Out with the old, in with the new?

It’s a good way to form better habits.

Lady bits is provided by L. Shay Bradham, a freelance writer, published author, coffee addict, and a Trekkie. She plays an impressive game of Klingon Monopoly. You can contact Shay at: LShayBradham@gmail.com

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